


The End is just the Beginning

by Svynakee



Category: Mononoke
Genre: Gen, One Shot, Random non-specific time period, Speculation, Vagueness, What happens when the mononoke are gone?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-29
Updated: 2013-05-29
Packaged: 2017-12-13 08:11:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 656
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/821995
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Svynakee/pseuds/Svynakee
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Medicine Seller faces his last opponent, eradicating the presence of mononoke from this world. As for what comes after...</p>
            </blockquote>





	The End is just the Beginning

**Author's Note:**

> Just an idea of what would happen if the last mononoke was gone, due to something on TvTropes saying something along the lines of "perhaps once all the mononoke are gone the Medicine Seller himself disappears". Nothing is specific in this piece, decide the time/place/what actually happens at the very end yourself.

He watches as his other self cuts down the last mononoke.

The thing screams as his sword slices through it, and then disappears. His other self turns to look at him with red eyes, hair whipped by howling wind. There is something heavy in that gaze. The Medicine Peddler smiles knowingly.

He take's his other self's place in a dance they both know well, his blue and purple clothes replacing red and gold. As he stands there, he looks up at the angry sky.

"The last mononoke... is gone from this world."

His smile becomes a feral grin, showing his pointed teeth. The wind and rain dance around him, and flashes of lightning brightened the sky. The dark grey - almost black - canopy above him was so close, he could almost touch it. Far beneath the sky-reaching structure came the scream of traffic, a million chaotic lights and sounds drowned by the fury of the heavens.

Another flash, and suddenly, his other self is standing before him. His golden markings are striking in this lonely, grey world high above the city. He raises the sword, which has been drawn without him having to find the Truth, Regret and Form.

Well, that was rather obvious. Why would he need to search, when he had known all along?

As the sword cut through his body, the thunder drowned out his scream.  
............  
Somewhere, a bird chirped.

He opened his eyes to find himself staring at a blue sky, ringed by a canopy of green leaves. He is lying on soft grass, and the sweet scent of summer blooms was on the light breeze that is blowing through the small clearing.

He sat up carefully, but the pain he was expecting never came. Looking around, he saw a babbling brook, its clear blue water cool and inviting. Pushing himself onto his feet, he moved over to it.

His reflection surprised him. He lifted his hands to slowly trace along his nose, and underneath both eyes. Gone were the red markings, and painted purple lips. Both the tips of his ears and his teeth were flat, as he turned his head and opened his mouth in surprise. But the biggest change, the one that shocked him the most, was his hair, which was now black as charcoal.

After washing his face and getting a drink, he took a better look around the clearing. A few paces to the left was a wicker basket filled with various mountain herbs. The brook flowed through the clearing, disappearing underneath the foliage. A dirt trail led away from the clearing, sloping slowly downwards. All around him were trees, their leaves providing shade and colouring the sunlight a dappled green along the path.

Someone was walking up the path, humming to herself. He knelt by the brook, waiting. Gradually, the girl arrived in the clearing - she had a nice face, with smiling pink lips, large brown eyes and tanned skin. She had black hair and dressed in plain but pretty clothes. She looked vaguely familiar.

The girl stopped at stared at him for a moment. Remembering herself, she greeted him. 

"Ah, hello there! You don't look like you're from around here. Are you heading to the village?" 

Silence. The girl blushed.

"Um, do you want me to take you there? It's just down the path." With an encouraging smile, she turned and headed back down the path. Just before she disappeared from sight, she turned back and asked, "If you don't mind me asking, who are you?"

He looks around the clearing, at his plain clothes, at the basket of herbs. And smiling, he says:

"I'm just a simple medicine peddler." 

He picks up the basket, and starts to follow this girl he may or may not have known. He wondered what awaited him now, at this end of this path.

Who knows? But he starts to Form the opinion that, in Truth, he has no Regrets.


End file.
